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Aztecs drop second game in as many days in Hawaii
Source: goaztecs.com
Photo courtesy goaztecs.com
April 1, 2017 (Honolulu) - In a game between two teams ranked 12th nationally, San Diego State was unfortunately on the wrong side of an 11-9 overtime decision with UC Santa Barbara on Friday night at the Hawai’i Invitational. The loss dropped the Aztecs to 13-11 overall, while the Gauchos improved to 15-8.
SDSU found itself in prime position early on as it received first-quarter goals from Ioli Benekou, the Golden Coast Player of the Week, and Alyssa Diacono, all while blanking UCSB. The Gauchos, however, found the back of the net on two occasions in the second period, but the Aztecs maintained their two-goal cushion thanks to a Hannah Carrillo goal with under three minutes to play and Diacono’s second of the night eight seconds before halftime.
The scoring picked up in the third quarter as the teams combined to score seven times. Just like the end of the second period, Diacono and Carrillo were responsible for SDSU’s first goals coming out of the break, which gave the Aztecs a 6-2 lead. The Gauchos, however, answered with two scoring plays of their own and sandwiched another Diacono goal with a pair of quarter-ending strikes to send the game to the fourth with San Diego State ahead, 7-6.
UC Santa Barbara continued to click offensively, scoring three times in the first 3:20, while its defense continued to stymie the Aztecs. Now facing a 9-7 deficit with more than 3:30 left in regulation, San Diego State turned to Diacono, who supplied her fourth goal of the game just 14 seconds after the Gauchos took their two-goal lead. Then with 70 seconds on the game clock, Diacono leveled the score and SDSU kept UCSB off the scoreboard the rest of the way as the contest moved to overtime.
In the first of two three-minute sessions, the Aztecs could not solve the UC Santa Barbara defense and the exact opposite was true for the Gauchos. UCSB found the back of the net twice, albeit in the final 1:14 of the frame. After the teams switched sides, neither was successful on offense and the 11-9 score remained unchanged as time expired. Brenna Thomas’ goal with 1:14 left in the first OT proved to be the winner. Jenna Solberg, who led the Gauchos with three goals, scored the other UCSB goal in overtime.
For the Aztecs, who fell to 1-1 in overtime game this season, they were led by Diacono’s career-high-tying five goals. The senior matched her career best, originally set on March 22, 2014, vs. Connecticut College. Kate McDonnell, meanwhile, finished with a game-high 10 saves.
SDSU will return to the pool on Saturday afternoon when it faces eighth-ranked Hawai’i in Honolulu. First sprint is slated for 1:15 p.m. HT (4:15 p.m. PT).
T-No. 12 UC Santa Barbara 11, T-No. 12 San Diego State 9
Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Center; Honolulu, Hawaii
SDSU 2-2-3-2—0-0---9
UCSB 0-2-4-3—2-0---11
SDSU goals: Alyssa Diacono 5, Hannah Carrillo 2, Ioli Benekou 1, Caroline Israels 1
UCSB goals: Jenna Solberg 3, Sarah Snyder 2, Kate Coski 1, Sarah Kreiser 1, Kate Pipkin 1, Natalie Selin 1, Brenna Thomas 1, Sophie Trabucco 1
SDSU saves: Kate McDonnell 10
UCSB saves: Kenzi Snyder 7
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